Curated starting inventory
More than a list. Less than a rabbit hole.
A compact directory of primitives, runners, desktop environments and agent-specific projects. The point is to understand where a project belongs before spending a weekend installing it.
Container
Linux · macOS · Win VM
Rootless OCI workflow; make mounts, sockets and egress explicit.
Container
All major OSes
Common baseline. Separate the open engine from Docker Desktop’s product terms and host integration.
Process policy
Linux
Small namespace/mount sandbox primitive; compose with a launch policy.
Kernel policy
Linux
System-call filtering; powerful but easy to misconfigure without a maintained profile.
Process sandbox
Linux
Desktop-oriented sandbox wrapper; evaluate profiles and current distro integration.
Application kernel
Linux
Container-compatible isolation runtime; validate syscalls and performance for your workload.
MicroVM VMM
Linux / KVM
Lean service-oriented microVMs; bring your own guest and operations.
MicroVM VMM
Linux / KVM / MSHV
Modern Rust VMM with minimal device model; integration substrate, not agent UX.
VMM
Linux / ChromeOS
Important virtio/VMM technology; primarily a systems component, not a turnkey sandbox.
VM-backed OCI
Linux
Run OCI workloads in lightweight VMs; best when your platform already speaks OCI.
VM / emulator
All major OSes
Foundational, broad, flexible—and operationally more manual than specialized VMMs.
VM manager
Linux · Windows · macOS
Developers’ Ubuntu VM manager; a clear baseline for disposable agent guests.
VM manager
macOS · Linux
Linux VMs for macOS/Linux developer workflows; check platform fit before investing.
Full VM
Windows Pro / Enterprise
Disposable Windows guest with .wsb config; scrutinize folders, networking and clipboard settings.
Linux VM environment
Windows
Useful outer Linux VM for container workflow and GUI apps; not automatically a sealed security boundary.
Multi-backend runner
Windows · Linux · macOS
Strong configuration vocabulary; its own README says preview profiles are not security boundaries yet.
Agent policy / secrets
macOS · Linux
Phantom-token credential swapping and policy; pair with real egress and filesystem control.
Secret broker
Local proxy
Placeholder-to-real-key injection via a vault; keep the proxy as the only permitted path.
Secret broker
Self-hosted / cloud
A credential broker option; evaluate deployment and identity policy, not just injection claims.
VM sandbox API
Windows · Linux · macOS
Interesting async QEMU lifecycle and desktop approach; low-adoption evaluation candidate.
MicroVM platform
Cross-platform ambition
Agent-shaped VM concepts; beta maturity means prove the exact path you need.
Desktop VM manager
Windows · macOS
Useful HCS/HCN reference and desktop VM API; trial host support before adoption.
Computer-use layer
Environment-dependent
Automation and fleet tooling, not a security boundary. Put it inside an intentionally isolated environment.
Agent workspace
Desktop
Parallel worktree control plane; useful for change management, not containment alone.